


with every word

by Slumber



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Character Study, M/M, Post-Time Skip, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:22:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27213370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slumber/pseuds/Slumber
Summary: Aran used to say—and Aran's known him a long time, and he's got a way of saying this right, so Atsumu lets him—that Atsumu looks charming 'til he opens his mouth."And then—whoosh!" he'd laugh, waving his hand from one end to the other, mouth pulling up so wide at both sides it crinkled the corners of his eyes all pretty. "Ya say something—anything—and the illusion's broken."On Atsumu and having zero filters.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu
Comments: 32
Kudos: 452





	with every word

Atsumu's mouth gets him into all sorts of trouble.

Osamu's said it a thousand times before, justification for the volleyball to his head or why he yanks him by the collar of his shirt to yell in his face. "Ya gotta learn ta shut up when no one wants to hear it," he'd say with a scowl, a half-hearted shove, because at the end of the day he's stuck with Atsumu anyway and that's the worst you're allowed to do with family. "This is why no one likes ya, 'Tsumu."

"Am I supposed to care?" Atsumu would ask, and there he is, mouthing off again, but all he'd get in return is Osamu rolling his eyes and leaving him alone.

Which—well. _Is_ he? Supposed to care?

What's the point in pretending to be nicer than you feel anyway, besides triple the chocolates at Valentine's Day because all those girls and boys don't yet know Osamu only _looks_ like the nicer twin?

Osamu doesn't even like chocolate all that much.

And it ain't like Atsumu is mean. He just doesn't like to lie. He doesn't need to lie to play volleyball well, and he doesn't need to lie to hang out with Aran and Osamu and, fine, sometimes Suna too. _Whatever_. Guess he comes in a package deal with 'Samu now. If he tried to lie Kita would see right through him anyway.

So he lets his mouth get him in trouble, but so what? 

So what.

* * *

Here's the thing about Atsumu's mouth: it doesn't earn him any favors, either.

Aran used to say—and Aran's known him a long time, and he's got a way of saying this right, so Atsumu lets him—that Atsumu looks charming 'til he opens his mouth.

"And then— _whoosh_!" he'd laugh, waving his hand from one end to the other, mouth pulling up so wide at both sides it crinkled the corners of his eyes all pretty. "Ya say something—anything—and the illusion's broken."

But his eyes sparkle with fondness, and he says, "S'what I like about you, y'know," and you know something, _yeah_. 

Atsumu doesn't need to know how to sweet talk anyone when Aran likes that he doesn't know how, anyway. 

(He still rejects Atsumu when he finally gathers up the nerve to confess, using words that sound all nice and pretty like he is, words Atsumu would never know how to say because he ain't the flowery poetry kinda guy.

He thought Aran liked that, but only as a friend, it turned out.

Only as a friend.)

* * *

By the time he makes it to the pros, it's whatever. Let his play speak for itself, and the rest will follow. He knows he's not coasting by on whatever high school awards and achievements he gets, he'll work twice as hard at practice if he fucks up, and the team will get it eventually. They always do.

What Atsumu doesn't count on is ending up on a team with Bokuto Koutarou, who's got this uncanny way of figuring out what he means when he says things like _if you screw up and fail to score off my set, I better not see you go all mopey and say you ain't just feelin' it that day_.

"Yeah sure!" was all Bokuto had said, letting the words roll off him like water off a duck's back. Doesn't get down, doesn't get defensive. Doesn't shrug it off like it's _nothing_ , either, because the next thing he tells Atsumu at practice when he mistimes spiking a toss is, "Aw, crap, and you set that so perfectly too! Don't worry, Tsum-Tsum, I'll get it next time. Can't let you down when you're working so hard."

"Don't call me Tsum-Tsum!" 

"You're funny," he'd said then, when Atsumu hadn't made a single joke. "Let's go another round, Tsum-Tsum!"

It's like he's got some kind of filter for what Atsumu says, ignoring the stuff he doesn't need to take too seriously and reading between the lines of the stuff he has to. Atsumu had only ever heard of Bokuto Koutarou before—their teams never went up against each other when they were both playing—so it takes Atsumu a while to figure out that's just the kind of guy Bokuto is.

Which, whatever. If it helps grease the wheels faster with the veteran players who are less impressed with his attitude, Atsumu ain't gonna complain. 

And if it means he's less inclined to shoot off at the mouth when Bokuto does something dumb, well.

Whatever.

* * *

Atsumu gets it, okay? 

He's mouthy, he ain't charming, it takes a special kind of person to learn how to read him right and figure out the honest intent behind his words no matter how abrasive or annoying they get. 

He gets used to it. Gets used to the eyerolls, the putdowns, the half-hearted _ha ha_ and the dismissive _whatever you say_ that means he's only half heard.

It is what it is.

So when Hinata Shouyou shows back up again after fucking off for a few years and flirting with beach volleyball and heck, who knows whoever else, because he's suddenly all stacked and bronzed like a minor demigod, Atsumu doesn't think twice about the words outta his mouth. 

Which, as it turns out, are less wordy and more, uh, _whistle-y_.

"Did you just—" Inunaki says, blinking at him— "wolfwhistle our newest recruit?" 

Atsumu shrugs. "What? He got hot." He winks at Hinata, brazen when he adds, "Ain't that right, Shouyou-kun?"

He's ready for Meian to thwack him upside the head and tell him off for harassing the rookie, but before anyone can react Hinata giggles. "I'm glad you think so, Atsumu-san," he says, and there is nothing sarcastic in the curve of his lips. "But I hope that's not the only thing you'll notice has changed."

No one says anything in the moments after the coach calls all the new players over for a quick drill. Meian, hand half-raised in Atsumu's direction, lowers his palm. "Was it just me," he says, confused, "or did he actually flirt back?"

It isn't just Meian, and it isn't just the one time. Once during a practice game after Hinata scores a particularly beautiful point Atsumu says he expected nothing less from his wing spiker—emphasis on the _his_ —and all Hinata says is that he didn't want to let his setter down—emphasis, too, on the _his_. A few days later while they were changing in the locker rooms Atsumu cracks one of his jokes, and instead of the usual dead air that greets him there is Hinata, buckled over and breaking down in laughter.

Genuine, honest-to-god delighted _laughter_.

Nobody gets it—least of all Atsumu.

"Who knew?" Inunaki says one day, after the whole team watched Hinata head out to talk to the coaches about something or other—probably getting on the starting lineup soon, the way he's playing lately. "Miya, I think we found someone who actually likes ya."

"That's not—he doesn't—he likes everyone," Atsumu says.

"Yeah, but _I_ like everyone," Bokuto says, "and even I don't think your jokes are that funny."

Everyone else in the room laughs at _that_ , of course. Atsumu just rolls his eyes and slams his locker door shut, grabbing his things and walking out before the team decides to keep him on the hot seat a little bit longer. 

But of course he runs into Hinata, practically bouncing out of the coaches' office. "Oh! Atsumu-san, sorry I almost didn't see you there!"

"You look pleased with yourself," Atsumu says, raising an eyebrow. "Good news?"

Hinata grins. "I'll be in the lineup for the game against the Adlers this Saturday!"

"About time, Shou-kun!" Atsumu raises his hand for a high five, the smack of Hinata's palm against his loud in the hallway. "You've waited long enough to play against Tobio-kun, haven't you?"

"Yeah, I can't wait to show him what I've been doing, how much better I've gotten," he says, falling into step beside Atsumu. "And I can't wait for you to toss to me in a real game, Atsumu-san!"

Atsumu laughs—Hinata's so excitable about everything. "Don't worry, it won't be that much different from my tosses during practice."

"I know," he starts again, the wide grin he'd been wearing fading into something softer. "But do you remember what you said? After our first game against each other?"

"That I'd kick yer ass next time?"

"And you did!" Hinata's face scrunches up into a pout at the memory, and Atsumu has to laugh. "You also said that you'd toss to me someday."

"Ah, yeah. I remember," Atsumu admits, scratching the back of his neck. Osamu hadn't let him live it down, after all, especially the way he'd thrown those words out to sound cool when they'd just lost. He'd been hoping Hinata wouldn't bring it up, now that they were teammates. "Guess I'm a man of my word after all, huh?"

Hinata huffs. "Technically, I'm the one who made it all happen," he points out. " _You_ were already with the Jackals. _I_ had to decide which teams to try out for!"

"Ah, so you followed _me_ to make right on that promise," Atsumu teases, faltering mid-giggle when he sees how brightly red Hinata's cheeks and ears have gone. "Uh. Shou-kun?"

"But you meant it though, right?" he asks.

"I never say anything I don't mean," Atsumu says. "Half the trouble with me, my brother'll tell you."

"Don't see what's so troublesome about that," Hinata murmurs. "All I know is, that was the first time anyone ever wanted to toss to me because they wanted to. So I wanted—I wanted to make that happen."

He looks up at Atsumu, and the glimmer in his gaze reminds Atsumu of the one he wears when practice gets really tough and he gets all volleyball-crazed and ratchets up another level. _Like he's eating good grub_ , Osamu once said. 

"I think it's gonna be cooler," Hinata says, completely sincerely. "When it's with you."

Well fuck. Inunaki might be right after all. 

"Y'know something, Shou-kun?" Atsumu slings an arm around Hinata's shoulders, greeting him with a grin. Tries not to worry too much about the way Hinata smiling back at him makes his stomach feel nice and funny. "I think it'll be cooler with you too."

It's the first time Atsumu actually thinks his mouth's gonna get him in real trouble. 

But it's trouble he could get used to.

**Author's Note:**

> I started this thing out as a treat for the AtsuHina exchange, but it took me in a completely different direction than the prompts I was working on, so, here's a character study of sorts instead. 
> 
> Thank you for reading it all the way! Kudos and comments are always appreciated ♥ If you liked what you've read, you can [share the tweet here](https://twitter.com/slumberish/status/1320824870142435334) and/or check out the handful of [other Haikyuu!! fics](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slumber/works?fandom_id=758208), including other AtsuHinas, that I've written.


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